October 3rd, 2017

Sarah Winkler brings us “Eclipse Light,” a new series of paintings responding to the once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon of light known as the Great American Eclipse

By Eileen Treasure, Fine Art Consultant

The Great American Eclipse of 2017 was more incredible than words can describe, and there is no better inspiration for Colorado artist Sarah Winkler, who experienced the event in the Medicine Bow National Forest near Esterbrook, WY. If you missed totality, here (below) are Winkler’s words and new paintings illustrating this phenomenon on August 21 at 11:42 am.

“Totality was an incredible sight. I will never forget the moment you took off the glasses and stared directly at the sun — the ethereal Corona, the dancing red prominences and the brilliant Bailey’s beads. Breathtaking and primal. A 360 degree cinematic two minute sunset and sunrise here and gone before you knew it.

During the spectacle, I was also taking in Laramie Peak and the surrounding Wyoming landscape. Looking at the quality of light across the mountain and forest and how the eclipse effected color. It was like nothing I’d experienced before. Not quite moonlight, not quite darkness. There was some color — warm and desaturated to almost grey tones. It was as equally fascinating as the Corona above.”

Eclipse light reduced the Wyoming landscape to almost grey tones

The eclipse has inspired a whole new body of work for this artist. Look for the fresh pieces at Gallery MAR, this December.

Sarah Winkler again: “In conceptualizing this new collection of paintings, I’ve been thinking about that special and unique quality of Eclipse Light across the mountainous landscape and have started to work in a monochromatic ‘totality palette’ of colors.”

 Sketch of collaged paper pieces in Winkler’s “totality palette”

Writers at Scientific American magazine have included Sarah’s new Eclipse Light Series in their recent article, “Out of the Shadow–Artists Respond to the Total Solar Eclipse.”